Resources to Help With Your Studies- and Where to Find Them

As a first-year student that is struggling to end the semester with decent grades, it can be easy to feel like studying is something that should be done entirely alone. However, the university has so many resources that can be extremely beneficial, whether its help for writing essays, advice, or finding a certain book or journal article. From one first-year student, here are the resources that I am aiming to use this year. The Registrar  The academic registrar has been a saving grace for me this semester, as I found myself wanting to switch math classes after a few difficult first weeks. I dropped in to discuss my options with an academic advisor and decided to switch down into an easier math course. I also swung by to ask a question about program requirements and was given very helpful information. Visit your college-specific registrar to talk academics, get advice, or get help with financial aid: https://www.future.utoronto.ca/current-students/registrars Writing Centres The seven writing centres on campus ( yes, seven) are hidden gems for academic success. Included in our tuition, they're equipped with experienced writing instructors that are available to students for private and group sessions. With a heavily weighted paper coming up, I plan to book a meeting with a writing instructor and have them help me with thesis writing and picking journal articles to use in my essay.

Math Aid Centres  Having trouble with a first year math course or need a little tutoring help before exams? U of T has math aid centres available that are open to all art and science students and are available on a one to one basis. I definitely plan on using these this year to deepen my understanding of the material, especially as they give me added hours of math instruction. Studying doesn't have to a task that you feel unmotivated to do because you don't understand the material. Asking for help is never a bad idea, because there is always someone out there that could help you. -Joanna